Erik ten Hag says Cristiano Ronaldo let Man United down, alleging the forward struggled with fitness, preparation and training during his tenure

Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has claimed Cristiano Ronaldo let the club and him down during their time together at Old Trafford.

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Ten Hag made the comments in an exclusive interview with The Athletic on Tuesday, recalling the difficulties he faced managing the Portugal international after returning to Manchester United.

According to the Dutchman, he had planned around Ronaldo before taking charge and even travelled to Portugal to discuss his vision with the forward.

“He let the team down, and he let me down, because we planned with him. I flew out to Portugal to speak with him about what I was aiming for before I came to United,” Ten Hag said.

The former United boss acknowledged Ronaldo’s extraordinary status in football but said he ultimately had to prioritise the team when making decisions as a manager.

“Obviously, he’s one of the best in football history. I respected him a lot. But at that time, as a manager, I had to make a rational decision,” he added.

Ten Hag alleged that Ronaldo struggled to meet the physical and preparation standards he expected from his players.

He claimed the forward occasionally pulled out of training sessions and failed to reach the required heart-rate levels.

The former manager also recalled an incident following United’s 4-0 defeat to Brentford in August 2022, when players were required to complete a running punishment.

According to Ten Hag, Ronaldo completed only two of the three laps.

“I confronted him with this,” Ten Hag said.

He claimed he repeatedly reminded Ronaldo that his positioning and movement were essential to his ability to score goals.

“Many times I say, ‘Ronnie, everyone wants to work for you to bring you in the right position, but if you can’t bring yourself in the box, you can’t score’. He was not capable to do this,” he said.

Ten Hag further alleged that Ronaldo did not contribute sufficiently either with or without possession because he had not prepared himself adequately.

“He ran neither in possession nor out of possession,” Ten Hag said, adding that Ronaldo had “not prepared himself.”

The former manager also claimed Ronaldo told teammates to conserve energy during training.

“Ronaldo was telling the players: save your legs at training,” he said.

Ten Hag said he understood such an approach could be considered when a player was already in peak physical condition, but stressed that players first needed to train properly to reach the required fitness level.

“I understand it when you are top fit, but first you have to train yourself to get into the right fitness levels,” he said.

Ten Hag ultimately maintained that the responsibility of adapting should work both ways between a manager and a star player.

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“Every top team has to embrace the top player, but the top player has to work for the team,” he said.